TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
GO BOWLING AT THE GLEN
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK
AUGUST 8, 2021
RACE #23 – WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
The four-race push to the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Playoffs starts Sunday, August 8, at Watkins Glen International. NASCAR’s premier series will return to The Glen for the first time since 2019 after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced the Series to move the 2020 event to another venue.
Team Chevy’s Chase Elliott has won the past two races on the 2.45-mile, seven-turn, multi-elevation road course. Elliott earned his first-career NCS victory in 2018 at The Glen and won from the pole in 2019. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE has won two of the four road course races this season and was runner-up to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE, at Sonoma Raceway. They have combined to lead 195 of 278 laps on road courses thus far this season.
Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 19 victories in 37 NASCAR Cup Series races at Watkins Glen International. Buck Baker, driving the No. 87 “Black Widow” Chevrolet Bel Air, won the 101-lap inaugural event on August 8, 1957.
Through 22 of 26 regular-season races, Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 11 wins and sits atop the Manufacturer Standings. The other three races remaining in the regular season include the inaugural race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course and the ovals at Michigan International Speedway and Daytona International Speedway.
Chevrolet drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) will kick-off the race weekend with a doubleheader at The Glen on Saturday, August 7. Chevrolet NXS drivers will compete in the Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200. AJ Allmendinger is second and Justin Allgaier is third in the Driver Standings. Chevrolet continues atop the Manufacturer Standings.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) will make its seventh appearance at The Glen and first since 2000 as drivers will race in the United Rentals 176, the Series’ regular season finale and the drivers last chance in capturing their spot in the 2021 Playoffs. Team Chevy’s Sheldon Creed is fifth in the Playoff rankings, with his win at Darlington Raceway in May securing his chance at competing for a back-to-back NCWTS Championship.
CHEVROLET MAINTAINS ITS LEAD
Chevrolet continues to lead the Manufacturer Standings in the run to its 40th NASCAR Cup Series title and has three drivers in the top-ten of the standings. Kyle Larson is second, while Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron is third and reigning NCS champion Chase Elliott is sixth. Heading into the Watkins Glen race weekend, six Team Chevy drivers have locked up a spot in the Playoffs that begin September 5 at Darlington Raceway.
CLOSING IN ON A RECORD
Team Chevy’s Chase Elliott, who has won seven of the last 11 road course races in NASCAR’s premier division, is third on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time road course win list behind Jeff Gordon (nine wins) and Tony Stewart (eight). Elliott has won at more different road courses – Watkins Glen (2), Circuit of The Americas, Road America, Charlotte ROVAL (2) and Daytona Road Course – than any driver in NCS history. He has won the past two NCS races at Watkins Glen International.
ON THE WAY TO THE GREEN
With no practice or qualifying for the 90-lap/220.5-mile Go Bowling at The Glen, the starting lineup is determined by NASCAR’s metrics system that was introduced to the series last year and incorporates results from both individual races and season-long results.
Team Chevy’s Top-20 Starters:
4th Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Camaro ZL1 1LE
10th Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Camaro ZL1 1LE
11th Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 1LE
12th Ross Chastain, No. 42 MyMcDonald’s Rewards Camaro ZL1 1LE
13th Tyler Reddick, No. 8 Chevrolet Accessories Camaro ZL1 1LE
15th William Byron, No. 24 Axalta Camaro ZL1 1LE
16th Austin Dillon, No. 3 The Cowboy Channel Camaro ZL1 1LE
17th Kurt Busch, No. 1 Monster Energy Camaro ZL1 1LE
18th Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 Kroger/Bush’s Beans Camaro ZL1 1LE
BOWTIE BULLETS
· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 98 top-10 finishes and 2,442 laps led of 5,476 total this season.
· In addition to its 19 wins at Watkins Glen, Chevrolet has amassed 63 top-five and 128 top-10 finishes.
· Chevrolet leads all manufacturers with 15 poles at Watkins Glen.
· AJ Allmendinger earned his first NCS win at Watkins Glen on August 10, 2014.
· Kurt Busch is tied for most starts at Watkins Glen among active drivers with 19.
Hendrick Motorsports leads all organizations with eight wins at Watkins Glen.
· Chase Elliott became the youngest race winner at Watkins Glen (22 years, 8 months, 8 days) on August 5, 2018.
· Elliott is the youngest pole winner at Watkins Glen (23 years, 8 months, 7 days) when he captured the pole at the NCS race in August 2019.
· Kyle Larson paces all drivers with 1,441 laps led.
· Austin Dillon is second among drivers with 99.91% of laps completed (5,471 of 5,476).
· Five Team Chevy drivers have combined for 20 stage wins: Chase Elliott (Daytona RC); William Byron (Homestead, Pocono2, Road America); Tyler Reddick (Road America); Kurt Busch (Nashville Superspeedway, Pocono1, Atlanta2); Kyle Larson (Las Vegas, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville).
FOR THE FANS:
• Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Fan Midway at Watkins Glen International.
• Fans can check out an assortment of Chevrolet vehicles including: Corvette Stingray Coupe 2LT, Trailblazer Activ, Tahoe 4WD Z71, Suburban 4WD High Country, Silverado Custom Trailboss V6.
Chevrolet Display Hours of Operation:
• Friday, August 6: 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Saturday, August 7: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Sunday, August 8: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
TUNE IN
NBCSN will telecast the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 8. Live coverage can also be found on MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. On Saturday, Aug. 7, FS1 will telecast the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series United Rentals 176 at 12:30 p.m. ET, and CNBC will telecast the NASCAR Xfinity Series Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 at 4 p.m. ET.
QUOTABLE QUOTES
KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 2nd IN STANDINGS
LARSON ON RACING AT WATKINS GLEN:
“Watkins Glen isn’t my best road course track, but I enjoy racing there. It’s fun because it’s fast-paced. With little fall off (in times), you have to be aggressive the whole run and it seems you have to make some hairy passes in the braking zones to get by people.”
CLIFF DANIELS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1 1LE
DANIELS ON WATKINS GLEN COMPARED TO OTHER ROAD COURSES:
“Watkins Glen is unique because it’s so fast and there’s not a lot of fall off (in lap times due to tire wear). Some of the other road courses we’ve been to like Circuit of The Americas and Road America are fast in some areas, but there’s a lot of fall off. We’ve been fortunate to look back through the (No.) 9 team’s notes from ’18 and ’19 when they won and make the best decisions we can based on that.”
WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 3rd IN STANDINGS
BYRON ON WHY HE ENJOYS RACING AT WATKINS GLEN:
“Honestly, Watkins Glen is one of the most fun racetracks we go to as a driver because it’s so fast. It gives you a chance as a driver to really get through the gears and feel the speed. That is unique for a road course but fun to do in our cars. Where when we go to these road courses that other series run on, we have to brake a lot more because our cars are so much heavier. Watkins Glen just really feels like a superspeedway for road courses. It makes it fun, fast-paced and exciting as a driver, and I’m ready to get back after we’ve had a year off from there.”
RUDY FUGLE, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 AXALTA CAMARO ZL1 1LE
FUGLE ON RETURNING TO RACING AFTER THE TWO-WEEK BREAK:
“It was nice having a couple weeks off from racing but I’m ready to get back after it. We went into the break without the momentum that we hoped, so I think that the time off allowed us all to reset so we can come back even stronger for this final stretch before the playoffs. Road course racing is a strong suit of not only William but also Hendrick Motorsports. We don’t have the results on those tracks that we anticipated having but we’re going back to the basics Sunday. We’re going to go there and execute what we need and put ourselves in contention to get another win. I grew up close to there and it was the first race track I ever attended as a kid. I’ll have friends and family at the track supporting us, so ending up in victory lane would be even more special.”
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 6th IN STANDINGS
ELLIOTT ON RETURNING TO WATKINS GLEN:
“We are excited to get back to Watkins Glen. Any time you run well and can win somewhere, it’s always nice to go back. Winning in the Cup Series, in general, is something to be proud of in my opinion regardless of where it is or who you beat. The last couple of trips to The Glen I have enjoyed battling against Martin (Truex Jr.). I feel like we share a lot of mutual respect and have for many years so I have enjoyed those battles with him.”
ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 11th IN STANDINGS
“I’m looking forward to going back to Watkins Glen this weekend. We didn’t get to go there last season, so it should be a lot of fun. It is a really fast track and its extremely tough. I still have a lot to learn there, but I feel like we are gaining on it. Going back there, I think we can unload really strong. Really excited to see fans back at The Glen this weekend. It is always a great crowd there and it is a really fun atmosphere every time we go. Looking forward to the challenge.”
GREG IVES, CREW CHIEF, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1 1LE
“With the uptrend of road courses on the schedule, we have been putting a lot of emphasis on fine tuning our set ups. Alex (Bowman) has been doing a great job in dry and wet conditions and giving us great feedback to help develop the set ups. Definitely looking forward to getting to Watkins Glen.”
TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 CHEVROLET ACCESSORIES CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 12th IN STANDINGS
“Watkins Glen International is just a really fast road course. We’ve seen how fast the recent winners like Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliot have been there lately. They really thread the needle and run as close to perfect as possible every single lap, so we need to be ready to step up and perform at that level. My No. 8 Chevy Accessories team has been working hard to give us the best chance we can with the cars we have underneath us. I’ve been working hard as well to be as prepared as I can be entering a race weekend and understanding everything about each track so we can start the race as close to prepared as we can. The esses are really tricky at Watkins Glen. It’s important to your lap time, as well as the bus stop which comes up shortly after them. That whole back-half of the track is so incredibly important to your lap time. There is just so much momentum in this track that you can’t afford to give anything up at any point on the course.”
AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 THE COWBOY CHANNEL CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 13th IN STANDINGS
ANOTHER ROAD COURSE THIS WEEKEND. ANOTHER WILD CARD?
“Yeah, for sure. The road courses have turned into wildcard races. Taking care of your stuff, trying to make it to the end of these things becomes a demo-derby out there. This is going to be one of those ones that if you stay on track, you’re going to have a pretty good run. I’ve had decent runs at Watkins Glen International, but it’s been challenging to string together good finishes. I have a lot of optimism going into Watkins Glen this year, though, because our road course program has been solid this year compared to the past. We’ve put a lot of work in during the off season, and we’ve had a lot of highlights on the road courses this year, including earning stage points and decent finishes.”
HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A RACETRACK LIKE WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL?
“A lot of time in the simulator, going over notes and watching old races. We try to make sure we are putting in the work beforehand. We’ve been working really hard on our road course program this year. Watkins Glen is a really fast, aggressive track. You can gain a lot by getting after it on the braking zones and it’s just a high-speed place with all of the grip in the pavement.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE SEASON SO FAR?
“I think we’re all on edge with our position in the points, but these next four weeks will be really telling. There’s a lot of fight in this team and we’re not giving up. I’m pleased with the consistency this No. 3 team has had this year. We show up each and every weekend and have strong, consistent cars that withstand the races. I think the next part of that evolution is just getting a little bit more speed. We would like to be where some of our other Chevy teammates are. We’re doing everything we can to lock ourselves into the NASCAR Playoffs.”
DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 GOOD SAM CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 22nd in STANDINGS
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU FIRST ARRIVED IN UPSTATE NEW YORK?
“When I first moved here to the United States, it was to Buffalo. The team owner I was going to race for, Troy Williams, lived in Buffalo. I moved there in February and it was very cold. I just remember it being so cold and there was a lot of snow. I didn’t last in Buffalo very long – only about three months before I packed my stuff and went back to Mexico. Can you imagine a kid from Mexico going to live in Buffalo in the middle of winter?”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WATKINS GLEN?
“As a race car driver, I love coming to Watkins Glen. The fans make it so good and with all of the camping they do. The atmosphere is very good and so fun. Let me tell you, it’s a very, very fast track, especially for a road course, which makes it exciting, too.”
ERIK JONES, NO. 43 CLEAN HARBORS CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 25th IN STANDINGS
TALK ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS RETURNING TO WATKINS GLEN.
“Watkins Glen (International) is really one of my favorite road courses. Every time we go there, I get excited. Though it is a road course, it races more like a superspeedway in a lot of ways and it is a lot of fun. It’s really fast, really high-paced. Every time I have been there, I feel like we have had really good speed. I think we all feel pretty confident going up there this weekend. Hopefully, we can go up there and have the speed that we have had the last few years in the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 Clean Harbors Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.”
COREY LAJOIE, NO. 7 NATIONSGUARD CAMARO ZL1 1LE – 29th IN STANDINGS
“Ready to get back after it at Watkins Glen with the NationsGuard Chevy Camaro after two off-weekends. It’s been two years since we’ve been there, so the first stage will be just trying to get a feel for the brake zones and corner speeds again. I’m excited to see how we stack up. My road course skills have continued to get better each and every race, so hopefully we can contend for a top twenty this weekend. Watkins Glen is one of my favorite road courses because it’s fast. It’s kind of an intermediate road course, rather than slow and technical, it’s fast and flowy. I’m confident my guys at Spire will continue to build me strong race cars leading into the playoffs.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships:
Total (1949-2020): 39
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 13 (2003-15)
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Drivers Championships:
Total (1949-2020): 32
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005-11)
Most Recent: Chase Elliott (2020)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020
Event Victories:
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 (2007)
2021 STATISTICS:
Wins: 11
Poles: 4
Laps Led: 2,442
Top-five finishes: 44
Top-10 finishes: 98
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 806 (1949 to date)
Poles won to date: 721
Laps led to date: 239,147
Top-five finishes to date: 4,109
Top-10 finishes to date: 8,500
Stage wins: 20 – Chase Elliott (Daytona RC), William Byron (Homestead, Pocono 2, Road America), Kyle Larson (Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Atlanta x2, Kansas, Dover x2, Charlotte x3, Sonoma x2, Nashville), Kurt Busch (Nashville, Pocono 1, Atlanta 2), Tyler Reddick (Road America)
Total NASCAR Cup wins by corporation, 1949 to date
General Motors: 1,140
Chevrolet: 806
Pontiac: 154
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 809
Ford: 709
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles: 467
Dodge: 217
Plymouth: 191
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 158Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
